MIGUEL TUASON
424 West 42 Street, 3rd Floor; New York, NY 10036 ~ 212.239.8918 FX 212.629.6075

04 May 98

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
FOR LEBO M: Miguel Tuason 212.239.8918
FOR DISNEY’S THE LION KING: Chris Boneau/Jackie Green/Colleen Hughes 212.575.3030
FOR THE 1998 TONY® AWARDS: Keith Sherman & Associates, Inc 212.764.7900

LEBO M.
Composer/Arranger Of The South African Music Of
“T H E L I 0 N K I N G”
Nominated For A Tony® Award
For Best Original Score (Music & Lyrics) Written For The Theatre

TONY® AWARDS TELECAST:
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1998
LIVE, 8:00pm - 9:00pm (EST.) ON PBS
LIVE, 9:00pm - 11:00pm (EST.) ON CBS

New York, NY. LEBO M, perhaps best known as the man behind the South African music of Disney’s THE LION KING –– along with collaborators, Eiton John, Tim Rice, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor & Hans Zimmer -- was today nominated for a Tony® Award for his work on the original score for the Broadway production of Disney’s THE LION KING.

LEBO M (an abbreviated version of his last name, Morake), has come a long way to have worked on one of the most magnificent, ground–breaking Broadway productions in history, THE LION KING. Lebo is not only the heart and soul of the show, but serves as choral director, arranger, as well as co–composer. Julie Taymor, the show’s director and costume designer, was completely taken by Rhythm of the Pride Lands, Lebo’s Walt Disney Records debut and follow up to The Lion King soundtrack. With the addition of several of Lebo’s songs to THE LION KING on Broadway -– including “He Lives In You,” “One by One,” “Lala” (now called “Endless Night”) and “Lea Halalela” (now called “Shadowland”) –– the musical leapt from the screen to the legitimate stage in a fury of African music, dance, heart, and most importantly, into a cultural celebration of his homeland.

Disney’s THE LION KING continues playing to standing–room-only audiences at the newly restored New Amsterdam Theatre in the heart of Times Square, New York City. Tony® nominations for Disney’s THE LION KING are as follows:

• Best Musical
• Best Original Score (music & lyrics) written for the Theatre
• Best Book of a Musical, Roger Ailers & Irene Mecchi
• Best Direction of a Musical. Julie Taymor
• Best choreography, Garth Fagan
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Samuel E. Wright
• Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Tsidii Le Loka
• Best Scenic Design, Richard Hudson
• Best costume Design, Julie Taymor
• Best Lighting Design, Donald Holder
• Best Ochestrations, Robert Elhei, David Metzger & Bruce Fowier

The 1998 TONY® AWARDS will be broadcast live on Sunday, June 7, 1998: 8:00pm -9:00pm (ET/PT) on PBS, and 9:00pm - 11:00pm (ET/PT) on CBS.

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